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'Nightline,' John Henson, Craig Kilborn and quarterly sweeps

EXPECTING GREAT THINGS: For the second consecutive summer, "Nightline's" Ted Koppel will host a weekly prime-time series in addition to his weeknight broadcast.

"Great Expectations" will air at 9 p.m. Thursdays from July 29 through Sept. 16. Each week, Robert Krulwich will report on some phenomenon "that could change people's lives." Last summer, Koppel hosted the six-week series, "Crime & Punishment."

"Vanished," a news magazine featuring stories about people - and things - that have disappeared, will occupy the 9 p.m. Thursday slot from June 17 to July 22. Phyllis McGrady is the exec in charge. No on-air talent yet.

A Thursday edition of "20/20" will debut Sept. 23.

TALKIN' ABOUT LEAVING: "Talk Soup" host John Henson will leave the hipper-than-thou E! Entertainment Television series "to pursue new TV production opportunities with ABC," E! said.

No departure date yet. A new host will be named "shortly." "Talk," seen at 5 p.m. weekdays, features highlights and previews of the morning, daytime and late-night talk shows.

Henson succeeded movie-bound "Talk" host Greg Kinnear in January 1995. Kinnear went on to grab an Oscar nomination for "As Good As It Gets." (Stars Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt won. He didn't.)

KILBORN IN A CHOKE HOLD: Wrestling fans saddened by the death of Owen (The Blue Blazer) Hart on May 22 are very unhappy with CBS late-night yapper Craig Kilborn, who joked on his "Late, Late Show" on May 23 about the pro wrestler's fatal fall.

WWF and Hart fans weren't amused and fired off dozens of e-mails to CBS complaining about the remark.

A CBS "Late, Late Show" spokesman said "Craig does an in-the-news segment every night that pokes fun at all kinds of things . . . from the Kosovo refugees to First Lady Hillary Clinton to National Pickle Week.

"Clearly, Craig wasn't trying to offend anybody here, and the producers apologize if anybody was offended by this particular joke. Obviously, they're sorry if anybody was hurt by it." Kilborn could not be reached for comment.

This isn't the first time Kilborn's glibness landed him in trouble. Early last year, when he was hosting the Comedy Central's "Daily Show," he was suspended for a week after making lewd comments in an Esquire interview about his show's head writer, Lizz Winstead.

According to the Cable TV Advertising Bureau, basic cable in May was watched in prime time in 22.6 million households, about 2.3 million more homes than last May. Likewise, it noted that the four major broadcast networks recorded their lowest aggregate viewership for a May sweep.

Sweep ratings are used by local stations to set their ad rates.

Short stuff: It's in the genes: Liza Huber, daughter of All My Children's Susan Lucci, will star in NBC's new soap, "Passions." It launches July 5. Also in the cast: Juliette Mills of ABC's 1970-71 sitcom "The Nanny and the Professor"

As it did last summer, CBS' "48 Hours" will be adding a second weekly airing, Monday nights at 9, starting Monday. The regularly scheduled "48 Hours" will continue to air in its Thursday 9 p.m. slot.